Warriors fall to Bunker Hill in 48-33 shootout

The West Caldwell Warriors couldn’t outlast the unrelenting offense of Bunker Hill Friday night, falling 48-33 in a game that was closer than the scoreboard seems.

“We were just fighting,” said West Head Coach Kyle Dunn, saying it came down to whoever had the ball last and whoever made the fewest mistakes.

The game was a slugfest of offense, and by halftime, the score was 30-26 in the favor of the Bunker Hill Bears.

“They’ve got such a good offense,” Dunn said. “We played them to a two-score game. I told everyone with seven minutes left, we were two plays away and to stay positive.”

The young Warrior team just wouldn’t quit, Dunn said, saying the team fought to the end and that he “couldn’t be any prouder,” but they’ll be getting right back to work in the offseason.

West’s offense was firing on all cylinders at the start of the game. After receiving the opening kickoff, the Warriors marched 70 yards straight down the field, in a 13-play drive that ended with a 5-yard touchdown run from senior Marquel Jackson, but Grayson Barnette’s extra point kick was blocked, and West would go up 6-0 with 7:49 left in the first.

Bunker Hill started their offense on the wrong foot, after getting the ball back from West’s opening drive, the Bears would fumble their first offensive play, giving the ball back to the Warriors.

But West wouldn’t capitalize, eventually punting back to Bunker Hill, who would then put together an 8-play drive that ended with a 41-yard pass from quarterback Colton Chapman to Casey King for the touchdown, topping it off with a 2-point conversion, taking the early lead 8-6.

West’s next offensive drive chewed up the rest of the first quarter, and ended with a 1-yard run by Titus Tucker at quarterback, and after Tucker was stopped on the 2-point conversion, the Warriors would regain the lead, 12-8 with 11:04 to the half.

A surprise onside kick from West kept the ball in their hands and 10 plays later, after a fourth-and-16 conversion pass from Tucker to Dylan West, Hayden Hagaman would run it in for another touchdown, stretching West’s lead to 19-8.

But the explosive Bear offense wasted no time after getting the ball back, scoring on a 42-yard pass from Chapman to J’Len Wilson, and after a quick West three-and-out, they would score again in just four plays, this time on a 27-yard pass from Chapman to star wide receiver Casey King, giving the Bears a 22-19 lead.

West answered right back, showing the explosiveness of their own offense, scoring two plays after a 47-yard pass from Tucker to West, on a 5-yard run by Elijah Battle, and Barnette’s extra point would put West back in the lead, 26-22.

It only took one play for the Bears offense to strike back, on a 68-yard touchdown run by Chapman and a 2-point conversion from Jordan Eckard would take the game to halftime, 30-26 in the Bears’ favor.

The second half was more Bear than Warrior, but Bunker Hill had to lean on big plays, scoring each of their last three from 25 or more yards out.

Bunker Hill got the ball first in the second half, and scored in just five plays, on a 26-yard pass from Chapman to King, stretching the Bears’ lead to 36-26.

On the next possession, a fumbled high snap on a fourth down punt would give Bunker Hill the ball at the Warriors’ 27-yard line, and in one pass from Bear quarterback Chapman to Dijoun Huitt, they would score again, putting the lead further from West’s reach, 42-26 with 8:38 in the third.

Down by 20 points, West showed they weren’t letting go, and on the second play of the drive, Tucker completed a 61-yard pass to David Denison to get things moving in the right direction for the Warriors, shrinking Bunker Hill’s lead.

That’s where Bunker Hill would keep West for the rest of the game, as they continued to score on another pass from Chapman to King, this one 25 yards to put the score at 48-33, where the game–and the season–would end.